Living in History

When looking for a place to live, does it matter if the building is filled with stories? What if those stories involve cultural icons, a one-armed explorer, or impenetrable security? If so, downtown Richmond may be the answer.

The Locks at 311 S. 11th St. is a good place to start. The complex of five buildings spans much of Richmond’s recorded history. The most prominent was built in the Italianate style and opened in 1896 as the Old Dominion Tobacco Warehouse and Stemmery, but by 1924, it was part of the Richmond branch of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. Built as warehouses, the ornamental style is proof of how prosperous Richmond was at the time. The apartments in the older buildings display a variation of exposed brick and concrete pillars, making every apartment unique.

Prior to becoming apartments, the five-building complex was owned by Reynolds Consumer Products, which used them to package and ship Reynolds Wrap until 2009. One of the buildings was dismantled and the only new building in the complex is being built in its place. That new building is expected to open in March of 2015. The company that developed Reynolds Wrap was started in 1919 by R.S. Reynolds. R.S. Reynolds, the nephew of the tobacco baron R.J. Reynolds, founded his company in Kentucky to make foil to line the packages of his uncle’s cigarettes. One of the five buildings, which was built in 1910, has been named Alume in honor of its metallic history.

I understand that tobacco history may not seem that impressive. After all, you can’t throw a cigarette in Richmond without hitting some tobacco history. The Locks, however, is surrounded by layers of diverse history.

The Locks sits on the Haxall Canal, originally constructed in the 18th century. Also on the canal is the Christopher Newport Cross. The monument commemorates the meeting of one-armed Capt. Christopher Newport and Parahunt, the son of Chief Powhatan. The meeting marked the first English explorers to come to the Richmond area. According to research done by The Valentine history center, it seems that the meeting probably took place around 14th Street, a few blocks east of The Locks, but this is where the monument stands for now.

Across the water is a brightly colored shell of an old hydroelectric plant that was opened in 1898 by The Virginia Electric and Power Company (aka VEPCO, now Dominion Power) to power streetcars in Richmond. The River City’s urban rails were the first successful streetcar system in the world. The system carried passengers through the streets starting in1888 until it made its final stop in 1949. In 2012, the former hydroelectric plant got a fresh coat of paint as the inaugural site of the RVA Street Art Festival.

If old warehouses are not your thing, how about a renovated skyscraper? The First National Apartments at 823 E. Main St. are housed in the first skyscraper in Richmond. When the building opened as the First National Bank in 1913, its 19 stories made it the tallest building in the city until 1930. The developers that renovated the building left the details that speak to the wealth of a bank that builds the tallest building in the city. Intricate woodwork and old safety deposit boxes decorate the common spaces.

The security of the building goes beyond its key cards. As you move from machine to machine in their fitness center, sweat drips in what was the bank’s old drive-through. The vault doors remain as a motivator for your workout. That last set of curls won’t seem so hard considering the construction crew had to cut through nine inches of steel and 18 inches of concrete with rebar every four inches just to get that fitness center in the room.

Original construction started with the main vault located in the basement. The impressive space is built under the sidewalk on Main Street. It’s currently empty but would make an amazing coffee shop. It’s safe to say, the beautifully decorated, more-than-a-foot-thick, about-six-feet-tall metal doors are down there for good.

If you prefer the glamour of celebrity to finance, The Residences at The John Marshall is only a few blocks away at 101 N. 5th St. The Hotel John Marshall opened in 1929 as the largest hotel in Virginia with its 16 stories. When Hugh Campbell, the owner and operator of the John Marshall Barber Shop, was on History Replays Today, The Richmond History Podcast, he told me that the barbershop opened in the building on Oct. 29, 1929 – the day the market crashed, causing the Great Depression. Not a great day to open a business. The hotel’s grandeur pushed it through those tough times. The neon sign high above the building, shining the words “Hotel John Marshall,” has become one of the key pieces of Richmond’s skyline over the past 85 years and a reminder of the city’s past.

The preserved details inside the building show why folks like Cab Calloway, Elizabeth Taylor, Mary Tyler Moore, and Elvis stayed in the hotel. The floors in many of the common spaces – including the grand foyer, which leads to the two elegant ballrooms – are original. These antique floors allow you to literally walk in the footsteps of history.

All three buildings offer on-site fitness areas, which seems necessary living within walking distance of the great restaurants and watering holes downtown. But at the Locks, you can visit Casa Del Barco, which is located on site and offers outdoor seating on the canal. If you finish a bottle from their extensive Tequila menu, they will add it to their collection of bottles hanging from the ceiling. That is a symbol of your story being added to the continuing story of these buildings.